Siheyuan: Walking the Path of Qin Huairu

He Yuzhu drove four trucks out of the capital and entered Hebei Province. Occasionally, he could see people fleeing famine, some in groups of three or four, and some in large groups.

Some of them tried to intercept the convoy, relying on their numbers, because they knew the vehicles must be carrying valuable goods.

The person in charge of the security work is Chen Bin, deputy chief of the security department of the steel rolling mill. He is a veteran. Director Li arranged for him to lead the team personally, which shows that he attaches great importance to this mission.

Chen Bin said decisively: "We can't stop the car! Step on the gas and rush forward. I don't believe they are not afraid of death."

The driver was very experienced in dealing with such people, so he sped up without thinking twice. Sure enough, the refugees saw that the driver did not hesitate, and when the car rushed to them, they hurriedly dodged to the sides. No one wants to die if they can live.

Chen Bin wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, "When encountering such a situation, we must not be soft-hearted. Once the car is forced to stop and they come up to loot the supplies, should we shoot or not? If we shoot, we feel sorry for them and can't bear it. If we don't shoot, they will loot the supplies and we won't be able to report to the leaders when we go back."

He Yuzhu nodded in agreement and said, "Section Chief Chen is really experienced! I didn't expect the famine to be so severe this year."

The driver said: "I heard that the worst-hit province is Henan, where entire villages have fled the famine. Some local governments, in order to protect their official hats, do not allow the people to flee the famine, nor do they provide relief food. I really don't know how they became officials."

These drivers often travel to various places and know a lot of things. Alas, at the moment they can't take care of so many things, nor do they have the ability to do so. They can only do their jobs well first.

Chen Bin said: "We should observe the road conditions carefully on the way there so as to plan the return journey. We will be carrying beef and mutton on the way back, and food will attract thieves more easily. Therefore, try not to walk at night. Hungry people are prone to extremes. It is dark at night and we cannot see the situation clearly. We are few in number, and even if we have guns, a tiger cannot defeat a pack of wolves. In addition, we have to take turns on night shifts. Director He, you are responsible for logistics, prepare more food, try not to stop on the way, and eat some steamed buns in the car if you can't do it at noon. We would rather suffer a little than to successfully complete this mission. The factory director and all the employees are eagerly waiting for our triumphant return."

He Yuzhu: "Don't worry, I have prepared everything. There are rice, noodles, and steamed buns in the car. I also brought a big iron pot, cabbage and potatoes. I thought I would make hot soup and hot rice for everyone during the break, such as cabbage stewed with vermicelli and potatoes stewed with beef. It seems that plans are not as fast as changes."

Chen Bin: "Director He is so thoughtful. If you can't eat at noon, you can prepare something delicious at night. No wonder Director Li asked you to come out with him. Everyone knows that you are a good cook. It is usually difficult to eat the dishes you cook. It seems that everyone will have a good feast this time."

Fortunately, Inner Mongolia is not far from Beijing, so the journey was smooth. When they arrived at the Hohhot Meat Processing Plant, He Yuzhu and Chen Bin handed over the iron products they brought and received the delivery note.

He Yuzhu asked the section chief of the meat processing plant, "Section chief, our group has been on edge all the way. Can we take a break for two days and then come back to pick up the goods?"

The other party said: "Sure, remember to keep the delivery note."

He Yuzhu pulled the person in charge aside, handed him a cigarette, and said, "This is our Daqianmen produced in Beijing. Let me give you a taste."

The section chief put the cigarette in his arms and said, "Then I won't be polite."

He Yuzhu: "Section Chief, can you introduce us to a guide who is familiar with the surrounding roads? We have finally come to Inner Mongolia and want to visit the surrounding pastoral areas to see the vast grasslands."

The section chief said: "Tegexi from our procurement department is a Mongolian who speaks two languages ​​and is perfect to be your guide."

Soon, Tegexi was called over. He was a sturdy Mongolian man. He Yuzhu explained his intention, and Tegexi agreed generously. Everyone was very friendly to the guests from the capital.

Before going to bed at night, He Yuzhu gathered everyone together and said, "Tomorrow, I will hire a guide and go to the surrounding pastoral areas to see if I can buy some beef, mutton, or milk powder from the herders. After going out, I have to bring some meat back for my family. I heard that mutton in the pastoral areas is very cheap, half the price in Beijing. Tell us how much you want to buy. I will count it and we will buy it together."

The fifteen people in the group started discussing. One of them said, "Is it so cheap? I only brought 20 yuan and I bought all the beef and mutton."

The other said, "Oh no, I didn't bring much money with me when I went out. It's all my wife's fault. She's so stingy. What should I do?"

Finally, everyone handed their money to He Yuzhu, who kept track of the accounts. Then he said, "Tomorrow, if you want to go, get up early and follow the car. If you don't want to go, just rest in the hotel. Go to bed early."

The next morning, everyone had a quick meal and Tegexi arrived. He Yuzhu took out a bottle of Lotus White Wine, handed it to Tegexi and said, "This is our Lotus White produced in Beijing. It nourishes yin and kidneys, relaxes muscles and activates blood circulation. I'm giving it to you."

He Yuzhu knew that people here like to drink and have a good alcohol tolerance. Giving gifts is also a science. Your gifts should touch people's hearts. Tegexi took the wine and grinned happily.

None of the fifteen people were absent. Everyone wanted to experience the grassland scenery. That was a lie. In fact, they all wanted to see if the meat on the grassland was as cheap as Director He said.

Because there was only one car, most people had to sit in the back bed.

The north wind blows the white grass to the ground, and snow falls in August. The weather in Hohhot is really too cold.

He Yuzhu put a few sacks in the truck bed and threw three quilts on top, and asked everyone to sit on the sacks and cover themselves with the quilts to keep warm.

In the winter, there is really nothing to see on the grassland except the withered yellow grass, scattered snow, and the whistling cold wind.

He Yuzhu told Tegexi his real purpose and asked him to find the nearest ranch as they were short on time.

The road condition was bad and it was bumpy all the way. When everyone's bones were almost broken apart, we saw a group of yurts.

Hearing the sound of a car, several people in Mongolian costumes walked out of the yurt. There were both adults and children, looking at the truck with curiosity.

After the car stopped, Tegexi walked over and greeted them in Mongolian, looking very familiar with them. Probably because of their work, they had often interacted with each other before, no wonder the section chief said he was very familiar with the surrounding pastoral areas.

He Yuzhu didn't understand what they were saying. He had already explained everything to Tegexi, so he let him be in charge of the negotiations.

Everyone got off the bus and stretched their waists. It was really painful to ride in the bus with such road conditions.

Looking at the herds of cattle and sheep in the distance, Chen Bin sighed: "The people here must have enough meat to eat, right? They also have enough milk to drink! It's really like drought kills people, and flood kills people."

This sentence made everyone's mouths water. Some people couldn't help but suck their saliva. They were all employees of the steel mill. Their wages and benefits were relatively good, but the situation this year was special and they were all short of money.

Someone said, "I should have brought more money. The weather is cold now, and the meat I bought can be kept for a long time."